Our Educators Christine Michael and Alicia Raimann represented our Education Department at the Lady Cougars Basket STEM Day at the College of Charleston. They had a blast teaching students from across the Lowcountry!
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Most marine debris is made from materials like glass, wood, plastic, and metal that last a long time in the environment. Some items take hundreds of years to decompose, while others only break down in to smaller and smaller pieces eventually becoming microplastics. These long lasting items, like plastic bottles, bags, and 6 pack rings, may cause entanglements to animals or get trapped in their gut. Microplastics can be eaten by very small animals and then move up the food chain as other animals eat the smaller animals. You can help by not littering and by picking up litter, even if it is not yours (of course, always with an adult)! A good rule to follow when you are at the beach, park, or anywhere outside is “leave only footprints.” To learn more and see a great poster about how long items may survive in the environment click here.  http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/current-efforts/research *Information taken from The Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris: Southeast Coast and Gulf Coast (COSEE-SE and SC Sea Grant Consortium)
Written by educator Sue Morrison  Charles Bolden grew up in South Carolina wanting to go into the Naval Academy. This was in 1963, a time when segregation was still prevalent, and South Carolina lawmakers would not support him. With persistence and after writing a letter asking Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to help, Bolden was able to get an appointment with Rep. William Dawson of Chicago to secure a spot into the Naval Academy.
Charleston Bolden later went on to serve as an aviator in the Marine Corps. He now leads NASA, as one of the first African American administrators. Read his story here!  When you think of the USS Yorktown, you may not think of it as a great place to see wildlife. However, we definitely see plenty of wildlife here at Patriots Point, including lots of birds! The birds we have seen lately include the horned grebe, double-crested cormorant, brown pelican, common loon, great egret, snowy egret, and laughing gull. What is one of the things that makes birds unique? Their ability to fly!
Patriots Point is hosting the free event "The Science of Flight" on February 22nd from 4-6pm. Come check it out!  Learn about NOAA's marine debris program by clicking on the image. Photo: NOAA Have you ever found trash on the beach or floating in the saltmarsh? This is called marine debris. Marine debris falls into 3 categories:
What are your thoughts and feelings when you see debris? Learn more about our pollution problem by checking back later this week! *Information taken from The Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris: Southeast Coast and Gulf Coast (COSEE-SE and SC Sea Grant Consortium) Written by educator Sue Morrison
 Presidents' Day was established in 1885 to recognize George Washington's birthday. We have three other presidents who were also born in February. George Washington was our first president and he was born on February 22, 1732, in Virginia.  William Henry Harrison was our 9th president and was born on February 9, 1777. He was the last president born as a British subject and the 1st president to die in office.  Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president and he was born on February 12, 1809. President Lincoln was the first president to have a beard while serving in office. He was also the first president to have an inaugural photograph taken of him, and the first and only president to hold a patent.  Ronald Reagan was our 40th president and he was born on February 6, 1911. President Reagan was the first president to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Reagan on August 19.1981. So, while you enjoy your day off from school, remember these great men and all that they accomplished.
 Osprey perched on USS Yorktown Does anyone know which raptor would be higher on the food chain, an osprey or an eagle? Both of these birds live in the Charleston area. They both eat fish, but eagles are great scavengers and will actually steal food from other birds, including osprey! We actually saw an eagle chase an osprey and steal its fish right here at Patriots Point!
Did you know that Ben Franklin did not want the bald eagle to be our national bird because of its "thief-like" characteristics when it comes to food? He wanted our national bird to be a turkey! Written by Science Educator, Brittany Fournet
If you have lived in the Charleston area long enough, odds are that you have seen one of these critters around. We are lucky enough to have two residing on the USS Yorktown! These turtles are diamondback terrapins. They come in a variety of colors and patterns and are native to South Carolina. Did you know that no two shells are alike? They are just like finger prints!
Can you compare our two turtles? How are they alike? How are they different? Written by Science Educator, Malia Canann Job shadowing is a fun experience for students to see what life is like in the real world. You don’t have to ask your teacher, “Why do we have to learn this?” You can go and see for yourself. Job shadowing is a way to help you find out what you want to be when you grow up. Also you don’t have a teacher telling you what to do, you can learn whatever you want, not what the teachers want you to learn.
Written by Job Shadower, Unai, 6th grade |
